The Eagles (9-4) went into Dallas on Sunday Night Football looking for redemption after losing to the Cowboys all three times the teams met last year. They came out of the game victorious, much in part to the performances of quarterback Michael Vick, running back Lesean “Shady” McCoy and wide receiver Desean Jackson. The Eagles took the lead early, off big offensive plays from Vick and the bunch, however, the defense let the Cowboys march right down the field and steal the lead late in the second half. But the Eagles weren’t about to let the Cowboys (4-8), along with backup quarterback Jon Kitna (filling in for an injured Tony Romo) and recently appointed interim head coach Jason Garret, beat them for the fourth straight time in two years. Early in the fourth quarter, Vick hit Desean on a slant with a perfect pass that Jackson would take 91 yards and into the end zone. It was all capped off by another infamous and yet slightly premature end-zone celebration, reclaiming a lead the Eagles would continue to hold onto for a 30-27 victory against their most hated rivals.
The “Birds” are having a good run so far this season and at one point seemed Herculean when they trounced the Washington Redskins and more importantly former quarterback Donavon McNabb. The 59-28 beating was in front of the whole world on Monday Night Football. This sudden increase of offense and a much different looking Eagles team is due in most part to the new starting quarterback Michael Vick. During the offseason Vick was transformed from a “wildcat” quarterback into somewhat of a shifty pocket-passer, where his main focus is throwing the football with the ability to still run the ball when necessary. Although to the astonishment of many, the legs that once awed Falcons fans for many years in Atlanta have finally returned when it was thought they never would. Vick could probably outrun just about everyone in the National Football League, making entire defenses look foolish and helping form one of the fastest offenses in the league right now. All it seems to take is one effortless flick of the wrist from Vick to send the ball flying sixty yards in the air perfectly into the outstretched arms of a waiting Desean Jackson and the Eagles are up by six. Which is probably why running
back Tashard Choice of the Dallas Cowboys asked Vick to sign the back of his glove
after the Sunday Night game in Dallas.
What was supposed to be the Kevin Kolb era in Philly this season is turning into the Michael Vick era, whether it’s right or not, whether he deserves a second chance or not, he’s getting it, and certainly making the most of it. McCoy and Jackson as well as Vick (who leads the NFL in pro-bowl voting so far this season) have turned the Eagles offense into an explosive, yet erratic group that leads the league in scoring, second to only the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Now though, the Eagles defense is showing signs of struggle as the Eagles drop to dead-last in the league in red-zone defense along with losing Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and middle linebacker Stewart Bradley to injuries.
Off to a respectable start, winning is nothing new to the Eagles and neither are playoff appearances. However, doing it with Vick and without McNabb is definitely something to cheer about. They are a very young team but maybe the most talented. The season isn’t over yet but it’s nearly a sure thing that the Eagles will make the playoffs this year. With a new quarterback, and a surplus of young talent on both sides of the ball, the future looks very bright for the Philadelphia Eagles. They go on Sunday, December 19th to visit the New York Giants in an interesting rematch where both teams are fighting for first place atop the NFC East. The Giants will be seeking revenge from the last time the two teams met at Lincoln Financial Field, when the Eagles won 27-17. The Eagles organization has a lot to look forward to. So far the season has been a big step in the right direction. Hopefully they can take their momentum into the playoffs and maybe even the Super Bowl.